SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — On Monday, Pope Francis formally announced approval allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.
However, the Vatican has made it clear that the blessing is not the same as the blessing of an actual marriage. There are several conditions to these blessings: they cannot happen at the same time as a civil union, they cannot be considered an actual marriage, and they can't be accompanied by traditional marriage rituals, like clothing and gestures. The Vatican also adds that marriage is a union between man and woman.
Local organizations say this approval isn't enough of a change and has too many parameters.
"The LGBTQ community doesn't want special treatment, they want to be treated the same as everyone else," said Brian Sylvester the President of the Coalition of Rainbow Alliances. "So simply staying you can bless them, but we don't want any semblance of a marriage recognized, it's not the same. It's not in the same level as anyone else who were to walk into that church and want to get married."
Sylvester added that it is also important to recognize that the Pope's approval just means priests can offer blessings, but they don't have to. He says central Illinois has very conservative Catholic church leadership.
"If we concentrate on just the Catholic denomination here in Sangamon County, with Bishop Paprocki, honestly no gay couple will ever get married in the Catholic Church in Springfield," said Sylvester. "He has been very vocal about the fact that he has not approved of anything related to the LGBTQ community."
FILE - A representative of Dignity USA, a group of LGBTQ+ Catholics, wears pins on the lanyard of his pilgrim credential, outside the Sao Vicente de Paulo Parish Social Center, after Pope Francis visited it, in the Serafina neighbourhood of Lisbon, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)
We reached out to the Springfield Diocese and Bishop Paprocki. They declined to provide a statement today.
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Jonna J. Cooley, Executive Director of the Phoenix Center in Springfield gave WAND the following statement:
"I have found that the support of the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church is mixed but many churches and their leaders are welcoming, they even have lectors and Eucharistic ministers that are part of the LGBTQ community. This, however, has not been the experience of those living in Central IL under the director of Bishop Paprocki. This approval from Pope Francis is wonderful and I hope that ALL LGBTQ Catholics are able to share in his blessing - even those in the churches with oversight from Paprocki."
UPDATE: On Dec. 19, Bishop Paprocki issued the following statement:
“This document offers ministers of the Church instruction on how to offer blessings to those people who are in irregular relationships while avoiding any real or perceived intent to bless the irregular unions themselves. Regrettably, many media headlines regarding this document have been factually inaccurate and misleading. The document does not approve the blessing of same-sex unions and reinforces unchangeable Church teaching regarding marriage and sexuality. I encourage all those with questions to read the actual text of the document. I also join my brother bishops in our joint statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in noting that this declaration supports our efforts to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings because each of us needs God’s healing, love, and mercy in our lives.”
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